Key Points:
- Magh Mela 2021 will be celebrated amidst Covid-19 pandemic.
- The event will take place at Prayagraj, (formerly Allahabad), India in the month of January-February.
- approximately 10 million pilgrims are expected for the holy dips and Kalpawasis too.
- A Covid-19 -ve report is must for all the pilgrims and sanitization at the Mela premises will be frequently done; NO FACEMASK – NO ENTRY policy will be strictly followed by the officials.
India is a country of festivals and without large gatherings, no occasion seems complete. One of India’s biggest Hindu pilgrimage, the Magh Mela, is a celebrated occasion in the country. The Mela is an annual celebration and in the upcoming year, the Magh Mela is to coincide with the Kumb Mela that takes place every 12 years in Prayagraj, India. The Mela is said to attract more than 10 million people.
MAGH MELA 2021
“It will be mandatory for all devotees to wear facemasks in the mela area as we are committed to have a corona-free Magh Mela next year”,
said the mela Adhikari, Vivek Tripathi.
Mahant Narendra Giri, who is President of the apex body of all 13 recognized Hindu monastic orders, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and later told that,
“The CM assured that the tradition of Magh Mela will not be broken due to the pandemic and it would be held on the banks of Sangam amid strict implementation of COVID-19 guidelines.”
The pilgrims attending the Mela MUST have their Covid-19 Negative Report with them. There will be set Special Coronavirus Test Camps at all the entry points and also in each sector of the Mela Campus in order to avoid any mishaps. The number of Kalpvasis (people who lead an austere life for a month on the banks of the confluence of the rivers) would also be requested to be minimized.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with the district administration. In the meeting, it was decided that kalpwasis would need to go through the reserve transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test three days before entering the mela area. They will also be subjected to rapid antigen tests twice during their month-long stay.
No Facemask, No Entry policy will be strictly followed.
What is Magh Mela?
- Magh Mela an annual festival with fairs held in the month of Magha(January/February) near river banks and sacred tanks near Hindu temples.
- Hindus regard Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) as a place of great cosmic significance and hence the Magh Mela is celebrated there.
- It is known as Magh Mela because it is celebrated in the month of ‘Magha’ of the Hindu Calendar.
- Hindu Mythology considers the origin of Magh Mela to be the beginning of the Universe.
- Makar Sankranti is the first day of the Mela.
- Holy dip at the Sangam, which is the convergence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati, takes place during the Mela period.
- Kalpvasis set their tents near the Sangam and spend the month in prayers.
- The main reason behind the Mela is prāyaścitta (atonement, penance), for cleansing the sins that people have made hoping to achieve moksha—liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
- The Magh Mela is known as a mini Kumbh Mela because it acts like the smaller version of the Kumbh Mela.
According to local officials, the budget of the fair is expected to be around Rs 68 crore.
